Militia Resource Guide 1815-1870

 

Antebellum Period (1815-1860)

RG-19 Brigade Inspector's Returns {#19.6} 1812-1862

Series contains returns of officers and men in service by brigade between the War of 1812 and the second year of the Civil War. The returns provide names and ranks for each company, the number of commissioned and staff officers; the number of non-commissioned officers, musicians, and volunteers; and a record of military hardware and supplies. Only one division has a return for 1862, all of the rest stop in 1861. The level of detail is somewhat variable, with later reports printed on forms that generally give the counties from which the division was raised, the names of companies, aggregates of regiments, number of companies in each regiment, and the number of each corps (cavalry, artillery, infantry, or rifles).

RG-19 Board of Officers' Decision Books {#19.5} 1840-1844

A record of decisions rendered by Adjutant General A. J. Wilson during his tenure concerning the proper interpretation of the 60th section of the Military Law passed in 1822. This law provided that a committee consisting of the Adjutant General and two general staff officers could render decisions on questions arising from implementation of the law by simple majority vote. Entries frequently provide extended explanations of the rationale supporting the decisions. Typical entries include a decision finding that Volunteer Corps do not have the right to inflict fines upon officers or members for non-attendance at trainings higher than those specified in Section 23 of the Act and a decision that brigades may form independent battalions of volunteers so long as the new battalion conforms to the uniformity of arms and regiments provision of the Section 34 of the Act.

MG-318 Edward C. Williams Family Papers {#318m} 1848-1923

Found within the series is an 1848 Discharge Muster Roll Book for Company C, 2nd Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers.

MG-176 General Richard Coulter Papers {#176m} 1786-1908

Richard Coulter's papers, veteran of the Mexican War and commander of the 11th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers during the Civil War. Included are papers (orders, correspondence, certificates of furloughs, discharges and commissions, court martial proceedings, clothing returns, and ordinance stores lists), 1861-65, 4.5 cu. ft.

RG-2 Journal {#2.18} 1826-1830

The entries cover contingent expenses for the operation of the penitentiaries, payment of pensions, and maintenance of the militia and income derived from retail and tavern licenses, various taxes, and other fees collected. Information found frequently includes names of persons to whom disbursements were made or of officers remitting fees, the place and date of disbursement or collection, and the amount of the transaction.

MG-405 McQuaide Family Papers {#405m} 1813-1864

The collection contains correspondence and related records largely pertaining to Thomas McQuaide, 1813-1864. These items include militia records of the Second Brigade which saw action at Fort Meigs and Upper Sandusky, Ohio, January - March 1813.

RG-26 Military Commission Books {#26.65} 1800-1944

Record of military commissions issued for officers. Information given is name, county of residence, rank, date of taking rank, military unit, regiment, company, and date of commission. Notations also reveal information concerning discharges, transfers, and deaths during service. [Digital Images]

RG-26 Military Commission Books Card Index {#26.142} 1800-1860

Index to Military Commission Books, 1800-1944 {series #26.65}for the period through 1860. The index gives the names of officers commissioned in both voluntary and compulsory militia organizations for the period 1800-1849 and for officers commissioned under voluntary service only for the period 1849-1864. Information provided is name and rank of commissioned officer and the volume and page number in the militia books where the entry will be found. [Digital Images]

RG-26 Military Commission Files {#26.66} 1790-1860

Commissions, militia returns, and resignations of officers elected to head militia units, lists of names of persons mustered into service, and correspondence from military commanders to the Governor reporting lapses in the conduct of elected officers. Information generally given is date commissioned, name of officer commissioned, and military unit to which commissioned. Includes records for Bedford through Washington Counties, 1790-1793; the Western Expedition, 1794; the Mexican War, 1846-1848; and the 1st through 20th Divisions, 1793-1860; as well as commission books, 1845-1860; and a few commissions for uniformed and drafted militia, 1862-1863.

RG-2 Military Pension Accounts and Related Papers {#2.53} 1789-1883

The file consists of various pension books and lists of the names of Pennsylvania veterans who served between 1795 and 1883. Most of the accounts concern pensions granted by special legislative acts and usually provide the pensioners' names and counties of residence, dates on which pension payments were either due or made, the amounts of money paid, and the act governing the allotment. Sometimes the claimants' approximate dates of death are also recorded. [Digital Images]

RG-2 Militia Accounts {#2.54} 1809-1864

Contains payrolls for officers and militia, pay receipts, and records of militia fines collected or imposed. The type of information found includes names of militiamen receiving pay or paying fines, the amount received or remitted, and the date of the transaction

RG-26 Militia Election Returns {#26.67} 1790-1863

The series contains returns for the election of officers to lead state militia units. Information given is date of election, where election was held, name of person elected, rank to which elected, militia unit in which elected, and names of those serving in the unit.

RG-26 Militia Letter Book {#26.22} 1839-1861

Series contains transcripts of correspondence relating to the militia. Information given is date of correspondence, transcript of the body of the correspondence, and the names of the author and militia commanders.

RG-19 Militia Officers Index Card File {#19.222} 1800-1861

An index card file created by the Department of Military Affairs to the Militia Books, 1800-1861 found in the series Military Commission Books, 1800-1944 {#26.65}. The Militia Books, arranged by division, brigade, regiment and company, contain name lists of officers commissioned in the Pennsylvania Militia from the time of its organization on a statewide basis by Act of April 9th, 1799 until the Civil War. The index cards show the name and rank of each officer, and the volume and page number in the Militia Books where his record can be found.

MG-436 National Guard of Pennsylvania, 2nd Regiment, 108th Field Artillery Records {#436m} 1847-1947

The parent unit of this regiment was constituted and organized in Philadelphia on December 11, 1840 as the National Guards. It was initially a volunteer militia assigned to the 1st Volunteer Infantry Regiment of Pennsylvania. The collection consists of regimental records and photographs. The records list the names of most of the men who were discharged and the reasons for discharge. Among the items included are: constitution and enlistment book, newspaper clippings, and roll book (1854-1882).

RG-2 Register of Recruits, 1st and 2nd Regiments, Pennsylvania Volunteers {#2.59} 1847-1848

The series contains a record of recruits who served in the 1st and 2nd Regiments of the Pennsylvania Volunteers in 1847-1848. The register entries provide the volunteers' names, ages, and regiments; the dates and places where mustered in; and the names of the enlisting officers. Data about whether a recruit was rejected or deserted, and the place and date of discharge are also occasionally found. Many of these names have been published in Volume 10 of the Sixth Series of the Pennsylvania Archives.

RG-19 Salary Ledger {#19.70} 1824-1843

They are indexed by surname of brigade inspectors. A record of the amounts of annual salaries paid to brigade inspectors for their service in the Pennsylvania Militia. The entries provide both the dates when the salaries were due as well as the periods covered.

MG- 17 Samuel Penniman Bates Papers {#17m} 1853-1895

Samuel P. Bates (b. 1827, d. 1902) was appointed state historian and charged with preparing a history of Pennsylvania volunteers. He contributed to the volume of historical studies relating to the Civil War with his History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, his Battle of Chancellorsville, and his Battle of Gettysburg. His papers are mainly research materials and manuscripts of the above publications and manuscripts of "History of Crawford County," "History of Greene County," and "Martial Deeds of Pennsylvania."

MG-337 Solomon B. Bowerman Papers {#337m} 1823-1922

The collection focuses chiefly upon Bowerman's service in the 172nd and 210th Regiments, Pennsylvania Volunteers. The papers give much information about the daily life of the 210th Regiment under Captain Bowerman. Muster rolls, quartermaster reports, and clothing supply inventories are found here. A folder containing hospital records includes reports of the effects of deceased persons. A correspondence folder contains mainly incoming memoranda and letters as well as receipts for payroll and transportation. Of particular interest are several letters written by Bowerman pertaining to soldier desertions and subsequent court-martials. A miscellaneous folder contains a mixture of items ranging from an Army regulation booklet to written instructions presumably written by Bowerman instructing his soldiers in the proper use of firearms.

RG-19 Supply Ledger {#19.83} 1839-1842

They are indexed by surnames of the brigade inspectors. A ledger of returns forwarded by individual brigade inspectors of the Pennsylvania Militia for military supplies such as cannons, muskets, rifles, pistols, holsters, cartridge boxes, powder horns, swords, and colors.

 

Mexican War (1846-1848)

MG-176 General Richard Coulter Papers {#176m} 1786-1908

Richard Coulter's papers, veteran of the Mexican War and commander of the 11th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers during the Civil War. Included are papers (orders, correspondence, certificates of furloughs, discharges and commissions, court martial proceedings, clothing returns, and ordinance stores lists), 1861-1865.

RG-2 Mexican War Accounts and Related Papers {#2.50} 1846-1880

The series is a collection of muster rolls and claims for pay for the 1st and 2nd Regiments of the Pennsylvania Volunteers who participated in the Mexican War. The muster rolls generally provide soldiers' names, ages and ranks; dates and location of muster-in; names of mustering officers; names of units, regiments, and companies; and the names of commanding officers to which assigned. The Claims for State Pay usually provide the soldiers' names, units of service, and the reasons the claims were filed. Some claim forms also provide the claimants' residences, dates of enlistment, terms of service, wounds suffered, dates of discharges, and pensions received. [Digital Images]

RG-19 Mexican War Service Index {#19.41} 1846-1848

A record of soldiers attached to the 1st Pennsylvania Volunteers during the Mexican War. Information appearing includes the soldiers' names, commanders, companies, regiments, dates mustered in, and dates discharged. Remarks regarding transfers, desertions, disabilities, and deaths are regularly recorded. Also found is a list of certificates payable to veterans or their families that provide names, ranks, companies, the amounts of the certificates and to whom the certificates were payable.

RG-26 Military Commission Books {#26.65} 1800-1944

Record of military commissions issued for officers. Information given is name, county of residence, rank, date of taking rank, military unit, regiment, company, and date of commission. Notations also reveal information concerning discharges, transfers, and deaths during service. [Digital Images]

RG-26 Military Commission Books Card Index {#26.142} 1800-1860

Index to Military Commission Books, 1800-1944 {series #26.65}for the period through 1860. The index gives the names of officers commissioned in both voluntary and compulsory militia organizations for the period 1800-1849 and for officers commissioned under voluntary service only for the period 1849-1864. Information provided is name and rank of commissioned officer and the volume and page number in the militia books where the entry will be found. [Digital Images]

RG-26 Military Commission Files {#26.66} 1790-1860

Commissions, militia returns, and resignations of officers elected to head militia units, lists of names of persons mustered into service, and correspondence from military commanders to the Governor reporting lapses in the conduct of elected officers. Information generally given is date commissioned, name of officer commissioned, and military unit to which commissioned. Includes records for Bedford through Washington Counties, 1790-1793; the Western Expedition, 1794; the Mexican War, 1846-1848; and the 1st through 20th Divisions, 1793-1860; as well as commission books, 1845-1860; and a few commissions for uniformed and drafted militia, 1862-1863.

MG-7 Military Manuscripts Collection {#7m} 1758-1931

Miscellaneous private papers relating to the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection, World War I, the Pennsylvania National Guard, and peacetime military service. Included are records of individual service, along with related correspondence, and records of militia units.

RG-26 Militia Election Returns {#26.67} 1790-1863

The series contains returns for the election of officers to lead state militia units. Information given is date of election, where election was held, name of person elected, rank to which elected, militia unit in which elected, and names of those serving in the unit.

RG-19 Register of Militia and Volunteers {#19.63} 1841-1844

The series contains registers of Pennsylvania Militia and Volunteer Officers who served under Adjutant General Adam Diller during the Mexican War. Listed by division and brigade, the volunteer companies and officers are grouped by regiments and companies. Most are identified only with their rank and name, though counties and post offices are given for some. The number of companies is listed for each regiment. Also found are returns for re-numbering regiments under a general order dated June 11, 1844.

 

Civil War Era (1861-1865)

MG-340 Benjamin L. Forster Collection {#340m} 1835-1917, 1931, 1944, & undated

Benjamin Forster (1835-1918 served as a second lieutenant in the Civil War in the Independent Artillery Company of the Militia from September 11-27, 1862. By far the most extensive group of documents in the collection is military telegrams and correspondence. They mainly concern Pennsylvania National Guard business and administrative issues, with the correspondence being both incoming and outgoing through the Adjutant General's office of the Commonwealth. Of particular interest are three Civil War era telegrams.

MG-226 Christian Geisel Collection {#226m} 1862-1868

Civil War letters and related items of Christian Geisel, native of Montgomery County, sergeant, Company H, 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, 70th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers.

RG-19 Civil War Muster Rolls and Related Records {#19.11} 1861-1866

Included in the series are the following subseries: Alphabetical Rolls; Descriptive Lists of Deserters; Muster-In Rolls; Muster-Out Rolls; and Muster and Descriptive Rolls. [Digitial Images]

RG-19 Civil War Veterans Card File {#19.12} 1861-1866

These 3" x 5" cards were initially prepared to serve as an index to Samuel Penniman Bates' "History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-1865," (Harrisburg, 1869-1871). The Office of the Adjutant General later expanded the scope of the cards by transcribing onto them data found on the original documents. Among the information generally found are the soldiers' names, military units, and ages at enrollment; the dates and places where enrolled; the dates and places where mustered in; and the dates of discharge. Physical descriptions (complexion, height, color of hair and eyes), residences, birthplaces, promotions and wounds also are sometimes included. The listing is not comprehensive. [Digital Images]

RG-19 Commanders of Pennsylvania Volunteers and Militia Lists {#19.13} 1862-1863

Records are arranged chronologically and thereunder by regiment. These small bound volumes provide the names of both the original and current commanding officers as of the date of record for each regiment of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps, Cavalry, and Artillery. Marginal notations note changes to the record

RG-19 Descriptive Books of Regiments and Companies {#19.21} 1861-1865

A record of soldiers the 48th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, Companies A-K (1861); the 1st Artillery, 43rd Regiment, Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Corps, Batteries A-H (1861-1864); Battery M of the 5th Artillery (1861): the 122nd Regiment, Company K, Pennsylvania Volunteer Emergency Militia (1863); and the 1st Battalion of the 22nd Regiment, United States Cavalry, Companies A-D (1863). Information on commissioned officers is limited to names, ranks, dates of appointments, and remarks concerning promotions. [Digitial Images]

MG-176 General Richard Coulter Papers {#176m} 1786-1908

Richard Coulter's papers, veteran of the Mexican War and commander of the 11th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers during the Civil War. Included are papers (orders, correspondence, certificates of furloughs, discharges and commissions, court martial proceedings, clothing returns, and ordinance stores lists), 1861-1865.

MG-231 Jacob R. Hill Collection {#231m} 1864-1889

Civil War letters, pension records, etc., of Jacob R. Hill, Hughesville, member of Company F, 56th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers.

MG-389 James A. Beaver Papers {#389m} 1790, 1796, 1841, 1849-1915, & undated

James Addams Beaver served as a Second Lieutenant in Company H of the Second Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers during the Civil War and rose to the rank of Brigadier General by 1864. He served as Major General of the Pennsylvania National Guard from 1871-1887 when he was elected Governor. The collection contains four diaries of his experiences in the Civil War, 1861-1864 & undated and miscellaneous materials regarding Beaver's college, military, political and personal life.

MG-141 John D. Black Papers {#141m} 1815-1923

Papers of John D. Black (d. 1923), a member of the Erie Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, 1861, and of the 145th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1862-1865; served under Brevet Major General (later Lieutenant General) Nelson A. Miles during and after the Civil War and during the Spanish-American War. Included in the papers are records of commissions, appointments, and discharges; general and special military orders; returns of ordnance and ordnance stores; requisitions; disability and pension papers; and recommendations.

RG-26 Military Commission Books {#26.65} 1800-1944

Record of military commissions issued for officers. Information given is name, county of residence, rank, date of taking rank, military unit, regiment, company, and date of commission. Notations also reveal information concerning discharges, transfers, and deaths during service. [Digital Images]

RG-26 Military Commission Files {#26.66} 1790-1860

Commissions, militia returns, and resignations of officers elected to head militia units, lists of names of persons mustered into service, and correspondence from military commanders to the Governor reporting lapses in the conduct of elected officers. Information generally given is date commissioned, name of officer commissioned, and military unit to which commissioned. Includes records for Bedford through Washington Counties, 1790-1793; the Western Expedition, 1794; the Mexican War, 1846-1848; and the 1st through 20th Divisions, 1793-1860; as well as commission books, 1845-1860; and a few commissions for uniformed and drafted militia, 1862-1863. [Digital Images]

MG-7 Military Manuscripts Collection {#7m} 1758-1931

Miscellaneous private papers relating to the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection, World War I, the Pennsylvania National Guard, and peacetime military service. Included are records of individual service, along with related correspondence, and records of militia units.

RG-2 Militia Accounts {#2.54} 1809-1864

Contains payrolls for officers and militia, pay receipts, and records of militia fines collected or imposed. The type of information found includes names of militiamen receiving pay or paying fines, the amount received or remitted, and the date of the transaction.

RG-26 Militia Election Returns {#26.67} 1790-1863

The series contains returns for the election of officers to lead state militia units. Information given is date of election, where election was held, name of person elected, rank to which elected, militia unit in which elected, and names of those serving in the unit.

RG-13 Militia Law Chronological Index Cards {#13.35} 1791-1870

The series contains a chronological index containing the same information as Militia Law Index Cards by Unit (circa 1782-1870) {#13.34}.

RG-13 Militia Law Index Cards by Unit {#13.34} 1791-1870

Index of militia laws passed by the General Assembly giving the subject of the law, date passed, occasionally names of persons affected by the law, and the volume and page number where the law is recorded in the Pamphlet Laws (P.L.) or the Statutes at Large (S.L.). These laws have been published under the titles Laws of the General Assembly of the State of Pennsylvania and The Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania. Types of information given include troop payments, dates and names of individuals for whom resolutions were passed and any restrictions, and the authorization of new military units together with the number of troops to be raised. Also noted are former names of military units, the scheduling of new election for military officers, quantity of arms furnished, promotions of officers, and special privileges granted.

RG-26 Militia Letter Book {#26.22} 1839-1861

The series consists of transcripts of correspondence relating to the militia. Information given is date of correspondence, transcript of the body of the correspondence, and the names of the author and militia commanders.

RG-19 Miscellaneous Discharge Certificates {#19.45} 1861-1866

The series contains approximately thirty discharge certificates for recruits who served with federal (Army, Navy, and Marine Corps) or state (Pennsylvania Militia or National Guard) military units. Generally the documents give the names, ranks, birthplaces, ages (at enlistment), occupations, races, heights, and hair and eye colors; the dates and places where enlisted and discharged; the reasons for discharge; the terms of enlistment; and the branch of the service and unit to which each soldier was assigned. Some certificates were typed in the Twentieth Century, apparently to provide veterans with a service record for pension purposes. [Digitial Images]

MG-436 National Guard of Pennsylvania, 2nd Regiment, 108th Field Artillery Records {#436m} 1847-1947

The parent unit of this regiment was constituted and organized in Philadelphia on December 11, 1840 as the National Guards. It was initially a volunteer militia assigned to the 1st Volunteer Infantry Regiment of Pennsylvania. The collection consists of regimental records and photographs. The records list the names of most of the men who were discharged and the reasons for discharge. Among the items included are: constitution and enlistment book, newspaper clippings, and roll book (1854-1882).

RG-19 Population Records Books of the Pennsylvania Soldiers' and Sailors' Home {#19.52} 1864-1883 

Included are the following volumes:

• Roster of Admissions (April 12, 1864-May 21, 1872). Entries list the veterans name, age, place of birth, number, date of admittance, disease, and the result of treatment. [Digitial Images]
  
• Descriptive List, Soldier's Home, Philadelphia (June 1, 1866-March 12, 1867). The listings show the veterans' names, ages, marital status, nativity, number of children if any, previous occupations, ranks, regiments, companies, and residences prior to enlistment; the places and dates of enlistment; the places where they were wounded; the places and dates of military discharge; the nature of the disabilities suffered; the amounts of pension received; and the reasons they were unable to support themselves. [Digitial Images]
  
• House Register, Soldier's Home, Philadelphia (December 13, 1864-March 28, 1872). Data appearing includes the persons' names, wards and bed numbers, the dates of admission and discharge, and the Descriptive List page number. [Digitial Images]
  
• Muster Roll of Pennsylvania Soldiers Admitted to the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, Central Branch in Dayton, Ohio (November 12, 1880). A record of Pennsylvania soldiers admitted to the home from 1867 to 1880. Entries list the veterans' names, numbers, companies, regiments, disabilities, barracks numbers, amounts of pension received per month, and the dates of death or discharge from the home. [Digitial Images]
  

RG-19 Records of Drafted Men and Substitutes, Including County and Township Draft Lists, Muster and Descriptive Rolls, and Lists of Deserters and Conscientious Objectors {#19.59} 1864-1865

Reports of draft commissioners giving number drafted, number of substitutes, number exempted, number never reported, number volunteered in lieu of draft, number deserted, aggregate number drafted, etc. by township. Boxes 6 and 7 contain forms recording names of draftees and substitutes completed by the Provost Marshall's Office, 1864-1865. Includes draft lists for Adams, Bedford, Chester, Clarion, Cumberland, Dauphin, Elk, Greene, Lebanon, Lehigh, Lycoming, Monroe, Montgomery, Tioga, Venango, Washington, and York counties for 1862. The militia draft for Philadelphia City gives the names, numbers, ages, occupations and residences (street, city ward, and precinct) for drafted individuals.

MG-246 Records of the First City Zouaves; Company A, 127th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry; Harrisburg City Grays; and Company D, 8th Regiment, National Guard of Pennsylvania {#246m} 1862-1917

Constitution and by-laws, roll books, order books, photographs, etc., of a military originally organized as the Harrisburg Rifles, April 15, 1861; redesignated First City Zouaves, June 1, 1861; in federal service during the Civil War as Company A, 127th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, 1862, 1863; reorganized as First City Zouaves, March 8, 1869; redesignated Company A, First City Zouaves, December 16, 1870; redesignated City Grays, November 17, 1871; redesignated Company D, 8th Regiment Infantry, N.G.P., June 30, 1874; in federal service, Spanish-American War, 1898, 1899; reorganized as Company D, 8th Infantry, N.G.P., April 21, 1899; in federal service during the Mexican Border Campaign, 1916, 1917; in federal service during World War I, 1917-1919; reorganized as Company D, 8th Infantry, N.G.P., July 27, 1920; redesignated headquarters Company, 55th Brigade, N.G.P., April 1, 1921.

RG-19 Records of the Reserve Brigade of the First Division of the Pennsylvania Militia during the Schuylkill County Riots {#19.60} 1862

Included in these records is a certified copy of the act approved on May 6, 1864 to pay troops of the Reserve Brigade of the 1st Division of the Pennsylvania Militia who quelled draft riots in Schuylkill County during May of 1862. Also found is a complete list of the names of the officers who served and the amount of pay each received, as well as a detailed record of the compensation disbursed to each enlisted man according to his rank or grade.

RG-19 Report on the Total Strength of the Ninety Day Militia {#19.67} 1863

Report covering each regiment giving the names of the commanding officers and the communities from which each regiment was organized in response to the Governor's Proclamation of June 26, 1863 to defend the Commonwealth against invasion. There is also a list of unattached companies. The total strength was 23,907 enlisted men and 1,135 officers.

RG- 47 Soldiers' Burial Record Books {#47.92} 1902-1933

The series contains official applications for the burial of deceased Civil War veterans from Pennsylvania from the Dauphin County Prothonotary. Each application provides the individual's name, rank, and regiment; date of discharge from service; occupation after the war; date of death and place of burial; headstone order request; burial account costs, including laying out the body, coffin, grave, and hearse charges; and various signatures, including that of the justice of the peace.

RG-19 Special Returns Relating to Enrollment {#19.81} 1861-1866

Among the items in this miscellaneous group of records are:

• Lists of Pennsylvania Regiments, Batteries, and Independent Companies that provide the name of the original commander, present commander, and the branch of service (infantry, cavalry, or artillery). Some lists provide, in addition to the name of the colonel, the brigade to which the company was assigned, and, where appropriate, the new brigade and/or company officer assignment.
• Lists of Persons Liable for Military Duty by County together with occasional lists the names of military delinquents under the call of 1861.
• Lists of Companies Organized Under the Call of December 19, 1864 provide the names of officers, counties of residence, and where each was assigned.
• Statement showing the number of men organized and marched to the defense of the border in September, 1862.
• Lists of County Quotas show the number of men in service and the additional number required or number in excess of the quota.
• Alphabetical roll of the 32nd and 25th U.S.C.T.
• Guard reports for miscellaneous locations for 1863 and 1864 give the names of the prisoners, their companies and regiments, the dates when they were confined, by whom, the charges, and the status of the sentences. Also to be found is a list of troop strength for each company, including casualties, that was compiled in 1898.
• Enrollment documents from each county in Pennsylvania, 1862-1865.

RG-19 Tables of Quotas for the Militia {#19.84} 1861

Two printed quota tables dated April 15 and April 17, 1861. These quotas for each state were established by Congress in 1861 under the authority established by a 1795 act empowering Congress to call out the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasion. The printed forms are signed by United States Secretary of War Simon Cameron and addressed to Pennsylvania Governor Andrew G. Curtin. The quotas specify the numbers of each type of officer, surgeon, musician, and enlisted man to be called up.

 

Postbellum Period (1865-1870)

MG-340 Benjamin L. Forster Collection {#340m} 1835-1917

Benjamin Forster (1835-1918) served as a second lieutenant in the Civil War in the Independent Artillery Company of the Militia from September 11-27, 1862. By far the most extensive group of documents in the collection is military telegrams and correspondence. They mainly concern Pennsylvania National Guard business and administrative issues, with the correspondence being both incoming and outgoing through the Adjutant General's office of the Commonwealth. Of particular interest are three Civil War era telegrams.

RG-19 Enlistment Records, Including "201 Files" {#19.99} 1867-1945

A descriptive record of men who enlisted in the Pennsylvania National Guard from the end of the Civil War through World War II. Also included are files of the Pennsylvania State Guard, which took the role of the Pennsylvania National Guard when it was called into federal service during World War II. Information given varies with the type of form utilized. Among the likely information to appear about each enlistee are their name, signature, age, date and place of birth, race, occupation, marital status, education and residence of the recruit; the date of enlistment or application; and the name and address of the nearest relative. A brief medical history and physical description (weight, height, eye and hair color) of the person is usually included, as well as the number of children for married guardsmen. Some of the older applications record the nationality as well.

MG-474 John F. Hartranft-Shireman Family Papers {#474m} 1865-1899

Hartranft served both in local government and the local militia, and raised a regiment of Montgomery County militia in April of 1861 to serve in the Civil War. Hartranft was later named Colonel of the 51st Regiment Volunteer Infantry, participating in several major battles, and rose to the rank of Brevet Major General. Following his years as governor, Hartranft was active in various organizations, and was appointed Major General commanding the Pennsylvania National Guard. These materials consist of digitized copies of the John F. Hartranft's papers including National Guard and Grand Army of the Republic Records (1865-1888) on digitized rolls 6106 and 6107.

RG-26 Military Commission Books {#26.65} 1800-1944

Record of military commissions issued for officers. Information given is name, county of residence, rank, date of taking rank, military unit, regiment, company, and date of commission. Notations also reveal information concerning discharges, transfers, and deaths during service. [Digital Images]

RG-26 Military Commission Files {#26.66} 1790-1860

Commissions, militia returns, and resignations of officers elected to head militia units, lists of names of persons mustered into service, and correspondence from military commanders to the Governor reporting lapses in the conduct of elected officers. Information generally given is date commissioned, name of officer commissioned, and military unit to which commissioned. Includes records for Bedford through Washington Counties, 1790-1793; the Western Expedition, 1794; the Mexican War, 1846-1848; and the 1st through 20th Divisions, 1793-1860; as well as commission books, 1845-1860; and a few commissions for uniformed and drafted militia, 1862-1863. [Digital Images]

MG-7 Military Manuscripts Collection {#7m} 1758-1931

Miscellaneous private papers relating to the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection, World War I, the Pennsylvania National Guard, and peacetime military service. Included are records of individual service, along with related correspondence, and records of militia units.

RG-19 Military Organization and Commission Books {#19.111} 1866-1929

A record of officers commissioned in the service of the Pennsylvania National Guard. Entries for each officer include the name and residence, the date of commission, the date that rank was granted, and the brigade assigned.

RG-2 Military Pension Accounts and Related Papers {#2.53} 1789-1883

The file consists of various pension books and lists of the names of Pennsylvania veterans who served between 1795 and 1883. Most of the accounts concern pensions granted by special legislative acts and usually provide the pensioners' names and counties of residence, dates on which pension payments were either due or made, the amounts of money paid, and the act governing the allotment. Sometimes the claimants' approximate dates of death are also recorded. These records are continued from a series of Comptroller General Records, Revolutionary War Pension Files and Related Accounts, 1785-1809 {#4.52}. [Digital Images]

RG-47 Military Roll Books of Men Enrolled in Militia {#47.436} 1919

Register of men who were enrolled in the militia from the Westmoreland County Board of County Commissioners. Information includes name, residence, age, occupation, whether married or unmarried, remarks, and exemptions, if any.

RG-26 Militia Election Returns {#26.67} 1790-1863

The series contains the returns for the election of officers to lead state militia units. Information given is date of election, where election was held, name of person elected, rank to which elected, militia unit in which elected, and names of those serving in the unit.

RG-19 Militia Enrollment Books for Philadelphia City and County {#19.112} 1867-1869, 1870-1872

A record of individuals enrolled in the Pennsylvania Militia in the City and County of Philadelphia. Information provided for each militia member includes name, enrollment number, postal address, and occupation of the militia member. During 1867, the ages of volunteers were sometimes recorded for wards 2, 5, 9, 11, 12, 16, 20, and 23. For the year 1868 remarks sometimes record changes of address, injuries, transfers, and termination of commissions.

RG-2 Militia Enrollment Lists and Related Records for Philadelphia City and County {#2.55} 1870-1872

A record of persons residing in Philadelphia City and County who enlisted in the Pennsylvania Militia in the period from 1870 through 1872. Information found includes each militiaman's name, place of residence, age, and occupation.

RG-13 Militia Law Chronological Index Cards {#13.35} 1791-1870

The series contains a chronological index containing the same information as Militia Law Index Cards by Unit (ca.1782-1870) {#13.34}.

RG-13 Militia Law Index Cards by Unit {#13.34} 1791-1870

Index of militia laws passed by the General Assembly giving the subject of the law, date passed, occasionally names of persons affected by the law, and the volume and page number where the law is recorded in the Pamphlet Laws (P.L.) or the Statutes at Large (S.L.). These laws have been published under the titles Laws of the General Assembly of the State of Pennsylvania and The Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania. Types of information given include troop payments, dates and names of individuals for whom resolutions were passed and any restrictions, and the authorization of new military units together with the number of troops to be raised. Also noted are former names of military units, the scheduling of new election for military officers, quantity of arms furnished, promotions of officers, and special privileges granted.

RG-19 Muster Rolls, Payrolls, Quarterly Returns and Related Papers {#19.119} circa 1867-1917

The series contains a great variety of muster rolls, payrolls, and quarterly returns of the National Guard of Pennsylvania for the period spanning the end of the Civil War to the outbreak of the First World War. The following types of muster rolls and payrolls are found:

• Abstract of Daily Roll Call and Muster and Payroll
• Applications for Company Organization
• Inspection rolls
• Muster Rolls

MG-436 National Guard of Pennsylvania, 2nd Regiment, 108th Field Artillery Records {#436m} 1847-1947

It was initially a volunteer militia assigned to the 1st Volunteer Infantry Regiment of Pennsylvania. The collection consists of regimental records and photographs. The records list the names of most of the men who were discharged and the reasons for discharge. Among the items included are: constitution and enlistment book, newspaper clippings, and roll book (1854-1882).

RG-19 Population Records Books of the Pennsylvania Soldiers' and Sailors' Home {#19.52} 1864-1883

Included are the following volumes:

• Roster of Admissions (April 12, 1864-May 21, 1872). Entries list the veterans name, age, place of birth, number, date of admittance, disease, and the result of treatment. [Digitial Images]
  
• Descriptive List, Soldier's Home, Philadelphia (June 1, 1866-March 12, 1867). The listings show the veterans' names, ages, marital status, nativity, number of children if any, previous occupations, ranks, regiments, companies, and residences prior to enlistment; the places and dates of enlistment; the places where they were wounded; the places and dates of military discharge; the nature of the disabilities suffered; the amounts of pension received; and the reasons they were unable to support themselves. [Digitial Images]
  
• House Register, Soldier's Home, Philadelphia (December 13, 1864-March 28, 1872). Data appearing includes the persons' names, wards and bed numbers, the dates of admission and discharge, and the Descriptive List page number. [Digitial Images]
  
• Muster Roll of Pennsylvania Soldiers Admitted to the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, Central Branch in Dayton, Ohio (November 12, 1880). A record of Pennsylvania soldiers admitted to the home from 1867 to 1880. Entries list the veterans' names, numbers, companies, regiments, disabilities, barracks numbers, amounts of pension received per month, and the dates of death or discharge from the home. [Digitial Images]
  

MG-246 Records of the First City Zouaves; Company A, 127th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry; Harrisburg City Grays; and Company D, 8th Regiment, National Guard of Pennsylvania {#246m} 1862-1917

Constitution and by-laws, roll books, order books, photographs, etc., of a military originally organized as the Harrisburg Rifles, April 15, 1861; redesignated First City Zouaves, June 1, 1861; in federal service during the Civil War as Company A, 127th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, 1862, 1863; reorganized as First City Zouaves, March 8, 1869; redesignated Company A, First City Zouaves, December 16, 1870; redesignated City Grays, November 17, 1871; redesignated Company D, 8th Regiment Infantry, N.G.P., June 30, 1874; in federal service, Spanish-American War, 1898, 1899; reorganized as Company D, 8th Infantry, N.G.P., April 21, 1899; in federal service during the Mexican Border Campaign, 1916, 1917; in federal service during World War I, 1917-1919; reorganized as Company D, 8th Infantry, N.G.P., July 27, 1920; redesignated headquarters Company, 55th Brigade, N.G.P., April 1, 1921.

RG- 19 Register of Applications for Federal Pensions {#19.62} 1864-1868

The series contains a ledger recording over 1,000 applicants for Civil War pensions between 1864 and 1868. Each entry provides the name of the applicant, name of the soldier, rank, company, and regiments, the date when and place where wounded or killed, the relationship of the applicant to the soldier, the postal addresses of the applicant, and the date that the certificate was filed. Remarks appear that indicate the dates on which payments were to commence.

RG-2 Register of Military Claims (Submitted Under Act of April 16, 1862) {#2.58} 1863-1905

A register of military claims submitted between September 9, 1863 and July 5, 1905 under the provisions of the Acts of April 16, 1862 and April 22, 1863. The register provides the name, rank, company, and regiment of the claimant; the time claimed; the pay rate per month; the date when the claim was received and paid; the amount claimed and paid; and the nature of the claim.

MG-124 Robert Taggart Papers {#124m} 1861-1864

Civil War diary, correspondence, and related materials of a captain in the 9th Regiment, Pennsylvania Reserves (38th Regiment of the Line).

MG-17 Samuel Penniman Bates Papers {#17m} 1853-1895

Samuel P. Bates (b. 1827, d. 1902) was in 1864 appointed state historian and charged with preparing a history of Pennsylvania volunteers. He contributed to the volume of historical studies relating to the Civil War with his History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, his Battle of Chancellorsville, and his Battle of Gettysburg. His papers are mainly research materials and manuscripts of the above publications and manuscripts of "History of Crawford County," "History of Greene County," and "Martial Deeds of Pennsylvania."

RG-47 Soldiers' Burial Record Books {#47.92} 1902-1933

The series contains official applications for the burial of deceased Civil War veterans from Pennsylvania from the Dauphin County Prothonotary. Each application provides the individual's name, rank, and regiment; date of discharge from service; occupation after the war; date of death and place of burial; headstone order request; burial account costs, including laying out the body, coffin, grave, and hearse charges; and various signatures, including that of the justice of the peace.

MG-379 State Fencibles Collection {#379m} 1875-1885, 1891, 1898, 1911-1981

The Old Guard State Fencibles, 1813-1981, was a military organization raised in Philadelphia in 1813 as part of the Pennsylvania militia and continued as a unit in the National Guard until independent battalions were abolished around 1900. The unit then was chartered as a Philadelphia quasi-military unit and continued as a social club.

RG-19 Veterans Card File {#19.135} 1867-1948

The series consists of 4" x 6" cards originally maintained by the Office of the Adjutant General. Data generally shown about each veteran includes name, rank, age, physical description (height, complexion, hair and eye color), occupation and residence; the date and place of enlistment; the date and reason for discharge; and the unit (company and regiment) to which assigned. Information about federal service rendered by the veteran and the date of death or first appearance in the military records also routinely appears. [Digital Images]

RG-47 Veterans Grave Registration Records {#47.305} 1935, 1948, 1950

Report to county commissioners of veterans buried in various cemeteries in Cumberland County from the Cumberland County Veterans' Affairs Office. Most of the report was completed in 1935. Some additional pages were added in 1948 and 1950. Veterans of all wars from Revolutionary War to World War I were included in initial report. Veterans of World War II were included in addition. Data included name of veteran, war in which veteran served, branch of service, dates of service, number of company or regiment, rank, period of service, cemetery in which buried, plot location, character of headstone, source and date of information.

MG-511 William Neel Papers {#511m} 1861-1878

Captain William Neel served in four different Pennsylvania units during the course of the American Civil War (8th, 105th, 206th PVI Regiments and 2nd Battalion) and the papers in this group relate primarily to Neel's service in these various regiments. These include muster rolls, discharge certificates, monthly returns, quarterly returns, clothing requisitions, invoices for supplies, receipts for supplies, general correspondence, special orders, general orders, letters from his wife Sarah, envelopes, etc. Also present is a list of the names of Confederate officers, a number of military manuals and law books, and Pennsylvania Adjutant General Annual Reports for 1865-1875. These annual reports reveal that William Neel was promoted to a colonel in the Ninth Division, 13th Regiment Infantry of the Pennsylvania National Guard.